Indoor pollution and health effects Air pollution part 3 Indoor pollution and health effects

Indoor air pollution Air pollutants can be 2-100 times more concentrated inside buildings than outside. Top four most dangerous: Tobacco smoke Formaldehyde (in building materials, treated furniture and upholstery) Radioactive radon-222 gas (seeps from underground) Very small fine and ultrafine particles (circulate in air) World Health Organization: Connection between poverty and environmental quality Many people in developing countries burn wood, charcoal, dung, and coal indoors for heating and cooking Poor ventilation and access to healthcare Formaldehyde: furniture stuffing, paneling, particleboard, and foam insulation. Effects: irritates eyes, throat, skin and lungs; nausea, dizziness.

Health effects Figure 19-16 Sick building syndrome: high VOCs, asbestos, particulates. Symptoms= headaches, nausea, throat/eye irritations, chronic fatigue. Causes: inadequate/faulty ventilation, chemical contamination from indoor and outdoor sources, biological contamination. © WHO Figure 19-16 Each year, air pollution prematurely kills about 3 million people, mostly from indoor air pollution in developing countries. In the U.S., the EPA estimates that annual deaths related to indoor and outdoor air pollution range from 150,000 to 350,000. According to the EPA, each year more than 125,000 Americans get cancer from breathing diesel fumes.

Indoor air pollutants and their sources Para-dichlorobenzene Chloroform Tetrachloroethylene Formaldehyde 1, 1, 1- Trichloroethane Styrene Nitrogen Oxides Benzo-a-pyrene Asbestos: pipe insulation, vinyl floor and ceiling tiles. Threat= lung disease and lung cancer. CO: leaky furnaces, stoves, heaters, woodstoves. Threat: gradual suffocation (binds with hemoglobin) Formaldehyde: furniture stuffing, paneling, particleboard, and foam insulation. Effects: irritates eyes, throat, skin and lungs; nausea, dizziness. Particulates Tobacco Smoke Radon-222 Asbestos Carbon Monoxide Methylene Chloride Fig. 19-11, p. 453

Radioactive Radon Radon-222, a radioactive gas found in some soils and rocks Can seep into some houses and increase the risk of lung cancer. Figure 19-13 Sources and paths of entry for indoor radon-222 gas.

Living "pollution": dust mites, mold spores, and mildew Household dust mites that feed on human skin and dust, live in materials such as bedding and furniture fabrics. Can cause asthma attacks and allergic reactions in some people. Molds and mildews are sources of chronic allergies Can cause headaches and aggravate asthma and other respiratory diseases Figure 19-12